Irish Presidency Of The EU Begins

by Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London

02 January 2004

Ireland's six-month presidency of the European Union started yesterday. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern - now President of the Council - listed the Presidency's four main objectives as:

• A successful enlargement of the EU to include 10 new Member States;
• Working Together for Economic Growth, with emphasis on pursuing the Lisbon Strategy to make Europe the most competitive economy in the world;
• A Safer Union, by developing the Union as an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice;
• Global Engagement with the Outside World. The EU will work towards the promotion of a fairer, peaceful and more secure world.

Says Mr Ahern: "The Irish Presidency will see the historic enlargement of the European Union to include ten new Member States on 1 May 2004. This event marks an historic ending of the post-war division of Europe and it is important that this opportunity is taken to bring all Europeans together to build a better Europe for us all.

"The Irish Presidency Programme has been drawn up in the context of the Multi-Annual Strategic Programme for 2004-2006 and the Operational Programme for the Council for 2004 which has been drawn up by the Irish and Dutch Presidencies."

To mark the beginning of the six month Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, an EU flag raising ceremony was held at Dublin Castle yesterday, attended by the Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Bertie Ahern.

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